Spring has sprung
I have vivid memories of spring and especially Easter as a little girl in Louisville, KY. My Mother or my Aunt Jane would take me downtown on the bus to shop for my Easter outfit—black patent leathers, white anklet socks, the most beautiful dress I’d ever seen, cotton coat, hat to match, usually new white gloves and if I was really lucky, a new purse—I couldn’t sleep the night before I was so excited—I loved this outing!
Let's Talk...
I don’t have a lot of memories about specific events during my childhood, but I could describe every special outfit that I ever had—in detail. It was apparent early on that I loved my clothes—I dreamed of outfits. And best of all, my mother was a fabulous seamstress. We’d go “window shopping” at the department stores, stop at the fabric store on the way home and Mother would whip up something that night—without a pattern. She was amazing.
So every spring this feeling comes back and I start to get the itch to go out and buy my new outfit for spring. I have to admit, in the last couple of years this hasn’t been as much fun as I would have liked. Due to the low-rise phenomenon of pants on the planet, and the expansion of my waist, most of the time I would come home empty handed, not to mention depressed after being in those god awful dressing rooms that make your body look jaundiced and sagging. I felt old and out of it.
This year I had hope—some pant styles were coming back to the waistline—at least close. I found that hope at J. Crew. I’ve shopped there for years, but the last couple were hard because everything was sooooo young. This week I hit a jackpot and so did a number of other women my age who were shopping that day. I need to warn you that you have to get past the short/shorts on the front table and if you go to the website or catalog you need to squint so you just get the overall idea—color, shape, texture. The models are really young, but don't let that put you off. You’ll find a great selection of tops, pants, sweaters. Great colors, silhouettes, fabrics—easy clothes.
Clothes/J. Crew Jewelry & Shoes/spope
Check out what I found:
I love these drawstring pants especially rolled up. Great colors and a really good fit.
Updated take on the soft comfortable un-sweatpant. They're a mix of linen & cotton with a zippered ankle.
Lot's of really cute knit tops . Remember, you can wear sleeveless and pull on a light cotton sweater. We have to get over this arm thing—just cover them up. For years I didn't even look at sleeveless tops—rather limiting wouldn't you say?
Have fun, don’t beat yourself up because of what you look like under those flourescent dressing room lights and I hope you find some fabulous goodies.
P.S. I don’t endorse brands for payment—I just really love the look of J. Crew this season.
Comments
Apr 05, 2010 at 10:28 amTatyana: thanks for the shopping tips!
and i agree with you -- the low-rise pants are hell for some of us, esp when you have a long body. low-rise means i go around with a muffin top and plumber's butt.
I also want to say that I remember my years in NYC also by the clothes I wore so I totally get what you mean--our clothes can be part of the memory arc of our story. thanks Sandie! xo
Apr 05, 2010 at 3:48 pmRobin Woodward: Oh, the clothing dilemma. High rise, low rise, skinny belt (where), flats, platforms, sleeveless (a friend says her grandmother always referred to her saggy arms as mailboxes), sleeves. It never ends, and that's precisely how the clothing companies stay in business. As I write I'm wearing a 15 year old pair of J.Crew jeans and a 20+ year old J.Crew t-shirt. They are so old that even the labels are vintage! I love J.Crew. Thanks for the reminder.
Apr 05, 2010 at 8:56 pmsandie Pope: I have those same J.Crew pieces that I've been wearing for years and can't guite give them up.
What I like is that classics are updated and if I buy a piece now I'll wear it for years. 20 years for a t-shirt is a long time.
Apr 07, 2010 at 10:47 ambobbie: ....so there's "clothes hope" too. have to say you've been giving us all kinds of hope, but this one I'll have to act on immediately, since my one pair of barely black low rise jeans is getting lower every day & turning grey. Thanks for saving this day!
Apr 08, 2010 at 11:40 amMaurine: Thanks for the lovely childhood memories. And I will say that my memories of Easter clothes are almost the same as yours, except that we made all of our outfits (my Mom being the same kind of seamstress as you describe). I remember one Easter in particular that I felt I had to make my own coat--it was a white cotton waffle weave with 3/4 sleeves and a tie at the neck. I stayed up till dawn, laboriously hand sewing the bottom lining to the outer coat (not done!) and couldn't figure out why the coat did not hang right. My Mom calmly took it in hand an hour before church and ripped out the stitches-- voila--it was perfect!
And yes, I dream of patterns, color, textures, designs all the time...AND I love Aurora's for many of my clothes now, since I am on a "retirement" budget. And of course, I have dozens of "Cut Loose" clothes, too.
Apr 09, 2010 at 9:47 amMeagan: Not sure about those shoes. Are they lavender? Is that a hole I see in the toe box area?
Apr 09, 2010 at 12:13 pmSandie Pope: Maurine, I love that story. Once I learned to sew for myself I did that same thing and mother was always there to rip it out and show me the right way. Wonderful memories.
Apr 09, 2010 at 12:15 pmSandie: Meagan, you can borrow these silver open toed flats whenever you want. They'd look fabulous on you.